New Trailer for Shenmue I & II compares real-life and in-game locations

Sega has uploaded a new trailer for the upcoming remaster of Shenmue I & II. The new trailer shows a lot of gameplay while comparing the in-game locations and their real-life counterparts they were heavily inspired by. Shenmue I & II will arrive on PC, PS4 and Xbox One on August 21st.

The charming new trailer, titled Return To Dobuita Street, takes viewers to one of the original real-life locations where the story of Shenmue takes part in. It’s more than just inspiration, since the original developers almost copied actual streets and even shops, on their pursuit to achieve a realistic as possible experience. It’s amazing to see views one has grown to associate with a game to see in reality but even for newcomers the trailers sets the mood nicely for the remasters of Shenmue I & II. Definitely worth a watch.

Japanese publisher Sega has been doing some smart moves with their immense game catalog as of late. Ports of console-only titles like Yakuza to the PC and sensing a second chance for the original Shenmue games after a Kickstarter success story for the third game, have led to Shenmue I & II remasters being announced this April. A welcome release since crowdfunded Shenmue III made significant waves upon its reveal in 2015 but most gamers will likely want to have easy access to the first two games. So far, Shenmue I & II have only been playable on the Sega Dreamcast and the original Xbox. Not really convenient for prospect players wanting to get up to speed with the story or fans looking to replay the games.

The Shenmue series of highly immersive role-playing games have deservedly achieved legendary status upon its release in 1999. Developer Yu Suzuki and his team crafted an ambitious game which became the swansong for Sega’s ill-fated last console system, the Sega Dreamcast.

Many gameplay aspects we have come to expect these days were unheard-of when Shenmue introduced them back in the day. A true open-world, a meticulous attention to detail, attempting to simulate a real and grounded world, Quick Time Events and much more were experienced by gamers for the first time with Shenmue, or at least at that level of detail and fidelity. While by today’s standards, the almost 20 year old game does clearly show sign of its age, upon its release it was a technical marvel and catapulted Yu Suzuki into the realm of game design legends.